Tag Archives: Beauty Blogger

Hi guys! Yesterday I made a trip to LEEKAJA Beauty Salon for a fresh coat of hair colour – been wanting to get a copper colour on my hair for a while, after watching Korean dramas and seeing it on a few actresses – muahaha. Where better to get this colour done then the korean hair salon in Singapore – LEEKAJA Beauty Salon?! 😀

LEEKAJA is one of the top hair salons in Korea with more than 200 salons all over the world (see their official website here) and their first flagship store in Singapore is located at Mandarin Gallery, Orchard.

This is their front desk / reception area. What’s interesting about the LEEKAJA store is its very leafy and green environment that feels like a garden mixed with raw, industrial materials that makes for a very relaxed environment when you enter and during the length of your stay. I’d say the atmosphere is very welcoming and makes you want to go back again. A very unique experience that you can’t find in other hair salons in Singapore (except Walking on Sunshine, their sister branch, haha).

They even sell Cactus, something I find really random and unusual, hahaha!

I had the pleasure to be attended to by Senior Hair Stylist Sam, I had wanted a bright copper colour and would need to bleach my hair to achieve the effect. But as I had rebonded my hair two months back, it’s not advisable for me to bleach my hair as it might damage it. So Sam suggested for me to proceed with the copper colour without bleaching and that he would add a booster during the dye process so we can still achieve a more vibrant effect – yeah! 😀

What’s really lovely about LEEKAJA Beauty Salon is that it houses an in-house, not open to public cafe that serves visiting clients complimentary light bites and drinks like tea, coffee, green tea latte and even wines if you fancy! I had a cup of green tea with roasted rice blend with mini coffee madelines and a second cup of green tea latte at Sam’s recommendation. Yummy!

During the process of getting my new hair colour… picture taken with SNOW app – in case you’re wondering why I have on a pair of specs out of nowhere, muahaha.

I also noticed from the IPad placed at each station that they use their own in-house hair care range, when Sam used the shampoo to wash off the dye – it smells amazing! The IPad also serves as a mini TV to show their current promotions – including a new facial salon, Civasan brought in from Korea as well. More on that at the end of this post!

Another remarkable aspect of LEEKAJA is the vast size of the salon – easily two to three times the size of a regular hair salon. The reason being they house various stylists ranging from Junior Hair Stylists, Senior Hair Stylists to Hair Directors who have their own spaces to attend to their own private clients, up to three at a time. Really amazing concept!

One of the open stations area with hair perming equipment and hair wash corner at the back.

This is one of the director “rooms”, there are a few more but it was not convenient for me to snap pictures as there were customers, haha.

This is their VIP room… it’s very private and cosy, isn’t it?

If you’re planning to attend a big event and pressed for time, you can even make appointment to have your nails and hair done at the same time! LEEKAJA Beauty Salon have their own in-house nail manicurist who can attend to your nail-care and needs. If you happen to visit when she’s not attending to customers, you might even get a complimentary nail buff session.

Pedicure corner – those chairs look super comfy!

A whole array of nail polishes and tools for your mani and pedis!

And… here are the “After” pics with my new and fresh copper hair colour! Yippee! 🙂 And a picture with Sam – thanks for today, it’s lovely chatting with you as well!

More pictures under a different/brighter light so you can see a more accurate colour representation of my new Copper hair colour!!!

I’m very happy with the new colour… I also like the loose curls… yes I know I just rebonded my hair not long ago – but I already want to have longer hair with loose curls perm done sometime end of the year! I seem to have lots of hair ideas for this year – I blame it on watching Korean dramas! Hahaha. 😛

I believe you can see how much I’ve enjoyed the session as well – and will most definitely recommend you to visit LEEKAJA Beauty Salon with your bff so you can get your hair cut/colour/treatment at the same time while sipping drinks and catching up!

Something of note – LEEKAJA is not exclusive to ladies – I saw a lot of men getting their hair trimmed while I was there – so guys, you might want to check this place out too!

Before I end off with their September promo and contact details, here are some pics of their sister brand, Civasan facial salon!

It’s very gold due to the lightning at the mall – but the walls are white and the entire space looks very modern, futuristic at the same time, I love it!

This is the makeup area for guests to primp up after their facials! They literally opened just 1 week ago and they’re just one floor above LEEKAJA – so if you’re looking for a facial place right before or after your hair cut/colour/treatment at LEEKAJA – you know where to go!

For the month of September 2019, they are also running a $100 promotion off on hair treatment with any of their hair services, so if you’re looking to get a hair cut and treatment this is a perfect promo to use!

Do you face dry, sensitive or acne skin? When I was younger, I had mild acne skin and in addition to proper skincare routine, facials really helped me to balance the oils in my skin and regain healthy skin.

If you’re looking for a facial salon, you’ll be happy to know that recently I had the privilege to visit the new Sothys Premium Salon Boat Quay and experience Sothys Hydra3Ha™, an intensively hydrating facial treatment which I really enjoyed!

Before I go into the details of the facial, let me share a bit about the Sothys brand. Sothys hails from Paris with over 70 years of history and innovation and they are currently a salon / boutique carried brand in Singapore. I have known about this brand for about 3-4 years and I personally love their Youth Serum – Detox.

Now let’s get to know more about the facial,Hydra3Ha™ Intensive TreatmentImmerse in an intense hydration experience powered with triple hyaluronic acid. It restores, reactivates and regenerates your skin for an immediate long-lasting effect. Enjoy double serum and triple mask in a SINGLE treatment. Results are instant and lasting at any age.3-Dimensional hydrating innovation

One of the two private treatment rooms at Sothys Premium Salon Boat Quay

Enjoying a relaxing foot spa before the facial

Understanding the Hydra3Ha™ Intensive Treatment and products used before the treatment

Hydra3Ha™ Intensive Treatment Salon Grade Products used during the treatment

Sothys Beautician Clara ensuring my face and neck area are properly cleansed during the session

Applying Hydrating serum

And Hydrating mask as of the the last steps of the facial

Enjoying a cup of tea after the session in the salon with an incredibly hydrated face!

Review
All in all, Sothys Hydra 3HA hydrating facial at Sothys Premium Salon @ Boat Quay is a luxurious and effective hydrating facial session that takes away all the stress from our hectic city life. Starting with the soothing foot spa, to the intensive hydrating salon grade products and Sothys beautician’s magic touches (which includes a back massage for females) make this facial treatment a much welcome treat. My skin was definitely hydrated and glowing like never before after the treatment. If you’re working at/near Raffles Place or Boat Quay, the Sothys Premium Salon is only a short walk from both areas!

If you’ve read my last post or been updated with my social posts, you’d know that I am currently in the UK on holiday to visit my sister who’s studying here.

Well, in the midst of my holiday I want to share with you guys two Renovatio products that are high in anti-oxidants that I’ve been taking and using during this trip!

Before I delve into the products details and reviews, let’s talk about what anti-oxidants are and why they are good for our body.

What are Anti-Oxidants

In my layman term, anti-oxidants are good things that are mostly found in fresh fruits and vegetables, such as orange, tomatoes, berries and they are good in prevention of radicals (bad things) and hence particularly good in preventing cancer. However, this does not sound very scientific or impressive, so I am going to input excerpts from a website, verywell.com (thanks Google!):

Antioxidants are substances that may protect cells in your body from free radical damage that can occur from exposure to certain chemicals, smoking, pollution, radiation, and as a byproduct of normal metabolism. Dietary antioxidants include selenium, vitamin A and related carotenoids, vitamins C and E, plus various phytochemicals such as lycopene, lutein, and quercetin.

You can find these antioxidants in many different foods that you’re probably eating right now.

There are large amounts of antioxidants in fruits, vegetables, nuts, and whole grains and smaller amounts of antioxidants in meats, poultry, and fish. Junk foods, such as highly processed fast foods tend to be much lower in antioxidants. No surprise.

Health Benefits

Consuming foods rich in antioxidants may be good for your heart health and may also help to lower your risk of infections and some forms of cancer.

As Dietary Supplement

Antioxidants are available as dietary supplements, but research doesn’t indicate that these supplements are beneficial. While research supports increasing your intake of dietary sources, the results are not as impressive when the individual antioxidants are extracted and studied alone.

Antioxidant extracts often show remarkable results in laboratory studies (test tubes, lab dishes and sometimes in lab animals), but when they’re used in human clinical trials, the results for disease and death prevention have been disappointing.

One exception was the National Eye Institute study of age-related eye disease, which suggested that a combination of antioxidants reduced the risk of developing advanced stages of age-related macular degeneration.

So according to verywell.com, antioxidant supplements have not been very remarkable on human clinical trials, but in a particular study it has provened to reduce the risk of developing aging of macular degeneration (i.e. Blindness).

Now, we have a clearer picture of Anti-oxidants and why they’re good for us, let me share my reviews of Renovatio’s supplement and face cream!

Apples are unique, in that out of the 1,755 different types of edible fruit, they contain the highest proportion of free phenolic antioxidants.

This may lend some truth to the proverb that has been passed down through both western and eastern culture – ‘An apple a day, keeps the doctor away‘.

Activated Phenolics are powerful antioxidants that neutralise a wide range of free radicals to protect your cells from damage and inflammation.

Studies have shown phenolic antioxidants contribute to the protection and recovery from degenerative, digestive and inflammatory conditions as well as contributing to weight loss and maintaining energy levels.

‘An Apple a Day’ is made in Australia from 100% Australian ingredients.

DIRECTIONS: Suitable for adults and children. Take one tablet each day or as directed by your health care professional.’

My Review

I have been taking this daily for about a week, I am loving this supplement and have been taking it to replace my multi-vitamin. Especially Vitamin B pill which is a type of vitamin that provides me with lots of healthy energy that keeps me going strong (in addition to coffee, haha) all day through without feeling tired. I realized after taking Renovatio’s An Apple A Day for a few days, I feel more energetic and less tired at the end of the day, So this supplement has been particularly helpful when we had long days while travelling in Paris recently. I would definitely recommend this supplement to anyone who’s looking for a healthy way to boost your energy levels especially if you have long working hours, or generally feel dull and lethargic. Available on Renovatio.com for AUS$29.95 for 30 tablets (one month).

Secondly, it’s Renovatio’s APSKIN face cream.

Transform your skin, boosting your skin’s glow and radiance.

Scientifically formulated from apples, nature’s best source of broad spectrum antioxidants. Phenolic antioxidants from apples are the world’s most potent antioxidants.

APSKIN protects, regenerates and restores skin at the cellular level like no other face cream available. Use APSKIN to transform your skin, boosting your skin’s glow and radiance.

A luxurious, hydrating and restorative face cream that smooths and improves your complexion.

Noticeable results can be seen after using APSKIN for 3, especially in areas of discolouration, damage or stress*.

Use twice daily for the best results.

The power of eight antioxidants, extracted from a single source to maximise cellular synergistic affinity.

DIRECTIONS: Apply APSKIN over the face or neck. For women and men of all skin types and can be worn alone or under make up.

My Review

Generally I tend towards water based skincare for moisturizer as creams have the tendency to break me out as I have acne prone skin. However being in London and Paris in winter have been great to provide me with the right environment to test this product as my skin becomes dryer and requires a richer cream to keep my skin hydrated. I love the apple smell that comes with this cream (a first for me in my skincare regime history) and when I apply it at night it does keep my skin hydrated all through the next morning. I would recommend this product for fellow Singaporeans (or SEAsians in hot and humid weather) if you have dry skin or sleep in air-con all night and also if you’re somewhere with cold and dry weather (like Europe in winter). Available on Renovatio.com for AUD$28.50 for 100ml.

All in all, I must say both products were a welcomed surprised for me, I was taken by the premise of the brand capturing the healthy powers of Apple in supplement and skincare form and I am glad they did not disappoint. I look forward to Renovatio expanding the skincare brand APSKIN into a full range because I definitely think there’s a potential for a skincare brand and range rich in anti-oxidants.

Shoutout and thanks to Invigorate PR and Renovatio for sending the products over for review! All opinions are my own.

3 bags of hampers, 1 for review & 2 for giveaway.The box for review came with a cute folder including the press release document.Opening the box reveals a Tumeric flower, with the Tumeric infused products packaged below the soil, as Tumeric is extracted from the stem(yes, I googled, if its stem or root!).Uncovering the black cover reveals 4 Himalaya Tumeric infused products.Himalaya Purifying Neem Face Wash, Purifying Neem Scrub, Neem Face Pack, Purifying Neem & Tumeric Soap.That’s not it! Removing the products reveals another layer below.A DIY Kit with Tumeric.Comes with Tumeric Powder and Honey and instructions on how to make the DIY mask.Uncovering the paper cases to reveal the product packaging below.

All the products also include the Neem ingredient, which comes from the Neem tree and has amazing anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties which is great for the skin. Check it out here.

My thoughts & reviews:
I struggled with facial acne issues growing up, and I was a Himalaya Purifying Neem Face Wash user. I like that the product felt very organic and close to nature, it felt like a very natural solution to my acne issues. For this review, I tried every product in the hamper and I can attest that the product is just as I remembered it. The Purifying Neem Face Wash is a gel-like consistency product, that gently cleanses the face without leaving it taut or tight.

Purifying Neem Scrubis denser, darker in colour and contains apricot granules that gently exfoliates the skin while also containing neem that has skin purifying qualities. I would recommend this for anyone looking for a face or body scrub and also other scrubs in Apricot and Walnut as they are effective, feels great on the skin and smells pretty good.

Using Neem Face Pack

Neem Face Pack contains Fuller’s Earth, Neem & Tumeric which has purifying and anti-bacterial properties. A good mask pack, in my opinion helps to regulate sebum production, cleans clogged pores and prevents pimples, which this mask promises to do so. I have yet to use it regularly to attest, but it is pretty decent after my first use and impression. My only gripe about this product is that is smells too strong (I think it is due to Neem) for my preference.

Purifying Neem and Tumeric Soap has the same purifying and anti-bacterial properties which is good for cleansing the body, and especially if you have back acne like I do. However, again, I don’t quite like the strong smell of the product – I kinda wish they had this amazing product in rose scent.

Himalaya range of skincare products are available at the following retail stores – Watsons, Guardian, NTUC, Giant, Mustafa as well as NHG Polyclinics, ranging from $7.95 – $12.95.

I will be hosting 2 of the generous Himalaya Tumeric Infused skincare products gift hamper bags on my Instagram (will be posting it shortly tonight). Head over to my IG – @ena_teo and take part in the giveaway tonight!

Do you face facial pigmentations, skin bumps / tacs & moles like I do? Well, I’ve got an excellent solution for your skincare woes to share with you today!

I’ve been facing small brown bumps on my cheeks for about a year plus, which are tiny, so it’s not very visible unless you see them from a very close distance. I’ve also got two pretty visible moles above my right eye, sometimes I get asked if they’re an ant! >.< See:

While waiting for the anesthetic cream to take effect ahead of the CO2 laser, with no foundation on.

So I’m very glad that I’ve been undergoing these two laser treatments at TCS Aesthetics Clinic to treat my skin issues and give me clearer, healthier skin. ☺️

1.Q Switched + Genesis Laser are two different but relatively light laser treatments that help to reduce skin pigmentation, acne marks and allows for skin rejuvenation. Having completed 2 sessions, these combined laser treatment help to reduce my acne outbreaks therefore helping me achieve clearer and healthier skin than before. Q Switched laser is a more focused light treatment and has a slight sensation but not painful. Genesis laser is done with the same machine and feels like a gush of warm air which feels very comfortable.

If you’re interested, you can continue to read on to find out more about this laser treatment:

What is it?

A Q-Switched (aka Q-Switched Nd-Yag Laser) Laser is used in various procedures: the laser is a beam of energy at a specific wavelength (1064nm) which is applied to the skin and is absorbed by coloured pigments such as freckles, sun spots, age spots, etc. in the skin.

The power settings of the laser can be set at different levels and frequencies to accommodate your specific condition and expectations.

2.CO2 Laser is a more intensive laser treatment that helps remove bigger skin imperfections, such as darker bigger moles and/or birthmarks or acne scars. Dr Tan used it to remove my two moles above my right eyes and it is recovering very well – I will be doing another update in time to come.

What is it?

Fractional or “pixilated” carbon dioxide (CO2) lasers are one of the latest advances in non-surgical skin rejuvenation treatments. The CO2 laser has the longest wavelength of all the lasers on the market and can be used safely on darker skin types with appropriate adjustments in the settings.

What is it used for?

Fractional CO2 lasers excel at treating deeper wrinkles, more severe textural changes from sun damage, wrinkles, blotchiness, acne scars, and surgical or traumatic scars. It can be used on the delicate eyelid skin and around the mouth. It is also a very effective treatment for sun damage and precancerous growths.

Three weeks after Q-Switched laser treatment and Two weeks after CO2 laser treatment, with foundation on. Two moles above my right eye is barely visible. Dr Tan says that the brown spots will continue to lighten with time, so I will do another update with no foundation makeup on, in time to come.

Many of my close friends have asked me where I got my laser treatments done and I have recommend them Dr Ryan Tan and his excellent team at TCS Aesthetics Clinic at The Central, Clark Quay.Dr Ryan Tan is a very patient doctor who will gently explain the procedures before starting so I feel very safe and assured under his hands during the two different laser treatments I have gone through. Their prices are also very reasonable. I highly recommend Dr Ryan Tan and TCS Aesthetics Clinic! If you’d like to find out more about the various beauty treatments they have to offer, visit their website at www.cosmeticsurgery.sg. 🙂

Thank you Dr Tan & team at TCS Aesthetics Clinic for taking care of my skin!

Be sure to call ahead and quote “ENA” when booking your appointment especially if you want to drop by at lunch hour as they are usually busy then!

I don’t know about you, but I’m a huge fan of dry shampoo. So much so that after hearing me sing praises for dry shampoo, my friend calls me “an advocate for dry shampoo”!

I’ve discovered the wonders of dry shampoo only about a year ago and I’ve never looked back since! There are many reasons why I love dry shampoo but in short, dry shampoo helps keep my scalp and hair fresher for longer, it even keeps my hair looking chio-er with more volume and smelling good!

Dry Shampoo keeps hair fresher for longer

My preferred dry shampoo of choice is COLAB™ Sheer+Invisible’s Monaco Fresh Fragrance with lemon, mandarin and light amber scents. Even when I don’t wash my hair in the morning and I need to get ready and out of home in a jiffy, a spritz of COLAB™ Sheer+Invisible Range’s Monaco Fresh Fragrance in my hair makes my hair smell fresh, like I just came out of the shower and I love it!

2. Dry Shampoo adds volume to limp hair

Another reason why I love dry shampoo is because it dries up any oil in my scalp and it adds volume to my hair at the same time! So any limp hair is revived and got me looking like I stepped out of a salon after a blow out. If you’re all about adding volume to your hair, I recommend COLAB™ Extreme Volume, here I’ve got it in the London Classic Fragrance with rose, magnolia and woody musk scents.

3. Dry Shampoo makes hair smell fresh and good

Last but not the least, dry shampoo removes any hair odours and adds a fresh fragrance to my hair! Just like how I pick my perfumes, depending on my mood, I like to pick COLAB™ Sheer+Invisible in New York inFruity Fragrance with citrusy, rose and violet notes on sunny days and Tokyo Oriental Fragrance with Mandarin, Jasmine notes when I’m feeling a little more feminine.

How To Get Hair-Ready with COLAB™’s Dry Shampoo!:

<1. Spray 20cm away from scalp>

<2. Comb through hair and style>

<3. Voila~ Looking fresh and smelling good!>

Some days when I’m out and about for work and blogging activities the whole day and want to keep my hair looking fresh and smelling good, I bring my COLAB™ Dry Shampoo out with me! Other beauty babies I bring with me to keep me looking and feeling good includes a facial mist to keep my skin hydrated, hand cream to keep my hand moisturised and lipstick to keep my lips always looking on point! 😉

I also know girlfriends who place their dry shampoo at their work desk, so after going out for lunch, they will use the dry shampoo to remove any “odours” and greasiness from lunch!

And that’s me on a regular day, out and about for work, blogging and personal appointments! Gotta thank COLAB™ for hair that’s tamed, oil free and though you can’t tell, smelling good.

Are you planning for a pampering trip with your girlfriends / mum or sisters soon? I was just in Korea last month for a Beauty and Wellness trip and had the privilege to experience the best of Beauty and Wellness that Korea has to offer. Today’s post will cover 7 beauty spots and services that we visited which I highly recommend! Maybe you can KIV some spots for your next trip! 😉

(1) K-Beauty Makeover at Beauté 101

Beauté 101 is one of Korea’s top 1-stop shop for all your beauty needs; hair, makeup and nails. Need to prep for a night out in Korea? Fret not – just be in your outfit for the night, factor 2-3 hours with them and you’ll be ready to rock and roll in style, with your tresses, makeup and nails done. I also recommend checking out the nearby alleyways for cute spots for OOTDs like we did! For a basic hair styling, makeup and nails package like I did, it costs 242,000 won (S$298), add another 100,000 won (S$122) to upgrade to a party/special package. Located in Gangam, check out their Facebook page here and be sure to reserve in advance for your slot.

(2) Luxe Facial Spa at Sulwhasoo Flagship Store

If you’re travelling with your mum or favourite aunt, may I suggest and recommend booking a luxe Facial Spa at Sulwhasoo Flagship Store – Korea’s equivalent of La Mer, whether it’s products, place or service, it won’t disappoint. On the ground floor, you’ll find exhibitions of past and present products and packaging. If you think that the ground floor is astounding, you’ll be further impressed by their second level where #interiorgoals abound. You’ll find a gift wrapping segment followed by an array of current ranges of products which are free for testing followed by a private lounge area where you can sip tea and enjoy testing out the products one by one, including the famed Sulwhasoo – Harmonizen Regenerating Cream which costs 650,000 (S$800). Yes that’s right you didn’t read wrong. After shopping (according to the local staff, the store is very generous with their samples and price after discounts for tourists is even better than airport). Before you’re ushered off for your spa, enjoy a vial of ginseng ampoule (drank, not applied), complemented with a cuppa green tea to balance the bitterness of the ginseng. Following which, you can proceed to their spa level and then into individual rooms which are designed like hotel rooms, with individual shower room. The facial spa begins with a foot soak followed by scrub with their special ginseng body scrub that’s not for sale and only available at the spa – talk about exclusivity! There’s even an iPhone cable charge in the spa room, super thoughtful. After the facial, which ends off with Sulwhasoo’s very thorough skincare regime, you can prep your tresses and apply their in house Sulwhasoo makeup foundation and blusher at the private makeup room. I also love that their staff speak basic conversational english pretty well. Visit them at 650, Sinsadong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, South Korea.

In case you’re wondering what’s in the Sulwhasoo facial, these are my notes – I can’t recall the entire skincare regime at the end as it was too extensive!:

(Visit their site if you’d like to find out more about their Beauty Ritual)

(3) Soak, spa & massage at women’s only Spa Lei

Lei Spa is a popular women’s only spa, and rated #7 out of 230 spas and wellness places in Seoul on TripAdvisor. As we were fully made-over after our Beaute101 experience and we were a little short of time during our visit to Spa Lei, we didn’t (want to) experience a full soak, sauna and massage which will ruin our hair and makeup, lol. We did however enjoy a drink and hot feet soak at both their outdoor and indoor foot spa. While their staff speak very limited english, I was very impressed with their 3 floors of facilities ranging from saunas, spa, massage, sleeping rooms, TV rooms, outdoor terrace, cafe, nails services and more – I can imagine it’s a place to hang out with my girlfriends for a whole day just doing sauna, spa, massage, meals, nails and more. For as little as 2000won an hour, it’s no wonder Spa Lei is a hit with both local and tourists alike. Do note that privacy is a huge concern, so you will need to keep your phones in the locker as no phones are allowed in the spa.

(4) Skincare and Makeup Shopping at Myeong Dong

If you count yourself a K-beauty lover, no trip to Korea would be complete without visiting Myeong Dong where there’s an endless supply and promotion of all things Korean skincare and makeup. If you’re a fan of new skincare brands, then you must pay a visit to Olive Young who stocks brands that are more under the radar before they are established enough to have their owns stores, such as CNP, WakeWake and ElishaCoy. If you’re like me and a fan of established skincare and makeup brands such as Laneige, EtudeHouse, Clio & TheFaceshop, then it’s best to plan your trip to coincide with Korea’s sales season which is start of October and the next one would be early next year, visit Visit Korea website or Korea Grand Sale website for updates. If you’re planning to buy in bulk, my local friend suggests visiting Duty Free at Lotte Mall for really awesome bulk discounts.

Also, no street shopping is complete without street snacks!I will be writing a separate article on recommended Korean food spots, but thought I should add this in as well. Speaking of street snacks, On my first night in Korea, I’d met up with my friend, Livia for Chimac dinner. Livia works at Charis and she gifted me with a Klairs Mochi Bb cushion, a lightweight foundation – you can get it from my Charis online store here~ Also, I have to mention that you can get lots of awesome Korean snacks at Big Mart at Myeong Dong, opens till 12am!

Second night at Myeong Dong (we were there most nights since it was a stone throw away from our hotel!):

I also recommend staying at Lotte City Myeongdong Hotel which is a 10 minutes walk away from Myeong Dong shopping streets. A relatively new hotel with impeccable and friendly staff service, good breakfast spread, comfortable bedroom and great housekeeping service.

Apart from Myeong Dong, I also recommend paying a visit to Gangnam where you’ll find Style Nanda and many shop fronts with lovely visual merchandising in their windows and having a cuppa coffee at Coffeesmith, just to people watch – the dudes are particularly handsome there, haha.

Style Nanda store:

Olive Young:

Club Clio, got the colour I wanted in Celeb Rose which ran out at Olive Young!:

If you have more time, you should also check out Hongdae where there’s more Korean makeup and skincare shops (no surprises, LOL) and more street fashion!

Cap shopping:

Walked into Labiotte for their wine lipsticks!

Got one of these lipsticks, which is a lovely coral and hydrating formula:

Burnt orange and browns colours are all the rage this fall!: Came by StyleNanda at Hongdae:

Love these new 3CE liquid lips shades in Lazy, Obsessed & New me, except I’d already bought like 8 lipsticks by this time, so I didn’t purchase any, lol! #onemouthonly

Was super tempted to get this, but would be too creamy/shimmery/oily for SG’s humid weather, so I did not – but if I was staying in Korea would go for this!:Also, Chuu official has nice lip tints!

(5) Wellness Treatment at KwangDong Oriental Hospital

Have I mentioned that we’ve been treated to only the best in Korea during our trip? The same can be said of our visit to KwangDong Oriental Hospital – we were there on a Friday morning at 9.30am and there were already customers at the counters paying for their oriental medicine dosage/satchets after their check ups. My wellness session with KwangDong Oriental Hospital started with registration, followed by consultation with the doctor, interpreted by a very eloquent lady named Jenny – the doctor then administered my virgin acupuncture experience (pretty painless in fact) on my stiff shoulders and aching calves followed by a cold stone facial spa and hot herbal foot pack – it was an incredible and unique experience to have a cold and hot sensation simultaneously on the opposing ends of my body. I love my experience at KwangDong Oriental Hospital and hope to bring my parents there some day.

(6) Relaxing Spa Session at Herb Island

Last but not the least, if you’re a fan of whimsical European style, I recommend visiting Herb Island and experiencing the Spa session after lunch and staying until the evening when the place is lit in the night. The Spa session starts off with tea and registration followed by a foot soak, a hot pack experience while laying on a cloth over dried hay (I imagine that’s how Jesus felt when he was a baby in a manger, lol) and ending off with massage (choice of back or feet, I picked feet). Also, the shops are super pretty, if you’re a fan of aromatic oil, scents and tea, it’s a place you can stock up on supplies!

If you enjoyed reading my Beauty and Wellness recommendations, stay tuned to my next post on Korean Food recommendations in Seoul! 😉

If you’d like a chronological update to my Beauty and Wellness Korean Trip visit my Dayre days 272-278 starting here.

A while back, I popped by Browtisan’s Pop Up Booth at ION Orchard Atrium for a quick Browtisan Creative Eyebrow Embroidery session. Eyebrow artisan and Browtisan founder Coco designed and did a Gradient Eyebrow Embroidery for me and I love it!!! Check out what went down in the photos below! 😉Browtisan’s Pop Up Booth at ION Orchard AtriumApplied on anaesthetic cream before the embroidery session.

Check out the awards they’ve won!

And the embroidery session began after Coco drew on the eyebrows for me using pencil first~

Even her eyebrow pencil drawing looks good on it’s own! She started with my right eyebrow… Coco at work. 🙂 As you can see, the gradient technique is dotting instead of drawing lines. It’s catered for me especially to cover up a scar across my left eyebrow, where the line eyebrow embroidery technique doesn’t last. The colour gradually darkens as she’s working on it.

Thank you Browtisan & Yi Yun for inviting me down for the the ION Orchard Pop Up and Coco for my beautiful new brows! <3

If you’re wondering, the entire session is painless especially since they apply on anaesthetic cream first. I love how beautiful, feminine, demure and on trend the eyebrow embroidery design and I’ve gotten so much compliments from family and friends, I highly recommend Browtisan not only for their beautiful designs but also for their top notch, professional and friendly service!

Visit their website for more information and follow them on Facebook for their updates and promotions! 😉

Playback Organic Shampoo and Treatment, Ajuste UV Spray, Shinsui Uruhada Yuzu Lotion and Dr.Ben – Nano Hyaluronic Acid Serum. In the video I only reviewed the Playback Shampoo and Treatment as I started on these earlier and haven’t had the change to use the rest enough for a proper review, but will include information and details of the other products below as well! 🙂

Playback Organic Shampoo & Treatment

I’ve been using this Playback Organic Shampoo & Treatment set for a few weeks now and I like how the shampoo gently cleanses my scalp, keeping it fresh and moisturized. I use the treatment first before washing it out and then shampoo, followed by mask after. I love the refreshing scent of the shampoo and definitely recommend this set! 🙂

Ajuste UV Spray, 100% made in Japan promises to be a light and non sticky sun block spray. For more information and purchase, visit here.

Shinsui Uruhada Yuzu/Citron Lotion contains Vitamin 3 and 3 types of hyaluronic acid that lightens and intensely hydrates the skin. I’ve tried it out and my first impression is that it’s very lightweight and watery. It comes in a huge bottle and you can use it for your face and body as well. For more information and purchase, visit here.

Dr.Ben – Nano Hyaluronic Acid Serum for 7 Days promises to penetrate deeply into the skin with its nano-molecular hyaluronic acid for longer hydrating effects. I have yet to try this one, but am a fan of hyaluronic acid so I am quite excited and will review it on my IG or in another video review after I’ve tried it! For more information and purchase, visit here.

The Wet Brush Pop Fold

This is my new favourite hair brush! My hair ends have become very dry and damaged from multiple bleaching and dyeing and this detangling brush is super awesome! With other hair comb/brush I have issues combing through my hair ends while it’s wet but with the wet brush, combing my hair is a breeze! <3Comes folded in a box. Flip open the comb.Pop out the bristles. How the back looks like after it’s popped out.

The Body Shop has added 2 new products to their Tea Tree range, the first being an innovative 3 in 1 facial wash, scrub and mask and the second being a anti imperfection daily solution serum. I’ve also been using the facial cleansing gel from the same range as a body cleanser for my back acne and it’s been great thus far. Definitely recommended for you to try if you experience acne issues like I do. For more information visit here.You can also find the Tea Tree oil as part of the range which is recommended for acne spot treatments as well as for small cuts and insect bites.

Another Tea Tree acne battling product I’d review in the video but don’t have a photo to include here is theFace Shop Make Me Sexy Body Mist with Tea Tree oil and Aloe Vera leaf juice extract! I’ve been using it for a month now and am half bottle through, I use it after I shower and towel dry – I’ve used the above tea tree cleansers and this body mist to completely replace powder talc. 🙂 If you haven’t read, Johnson and Johnson recently paid out $55M in a second lawsuit that claims their talcum powder causes Ovarian cancer – whether or not there are conclusive evidence of Talcum powder causing cancer, it is best to be safe than sorry! Previously I have used Dettol/J&J body talc powders on my back to keep my skin fresh and dry, but I have since stopped after reading about the online news article that says talc causes cancer.

Morilins Masks

I’m very excited to share about the Morilins Masks that I’ve recently received and tried, the one I have tried is the Morilins Soothing Restoring mask and I super love the Diamond Plaid thick mask sheet which feels very luxurious and it promises 5-10 times effect of your daily skin care routine (essence, serum + moisturizer) so hence i infer that it is recommended as a weekly mask. Priced at $34.90 for 5 pieces, each piece is $6.98. It might be a little pricey compared to other masks, but it’s definitely worth it considering the superior quality. The only gripe I have would be the packaging, because at $6.98/piece, the packaging can do much better. Perhaps an all silver or all gold foil packaging with a luxe feel would be more compatible for this amazing mask! For more information and purchase, visit here.

Refa for Body Massage Gel

I’ve been using Refa for Body Massage Roller for a while now, you can read about my blog post about it here. Recently I received the Refa for Body Massage Gel which is an excellent product to complement the massage roller as the massage gel has slimming, lifting and hydrating effects! I apply it generously on my calves (or wherever you would like to massage) before massaging. I’d definitely recommend this massage gel! The good news is that you get it free with any Refa massage product purchased at the Pop Up counter at Robinsons, the bad news is that it’s not available for sale, though it really should be, hopefully they will release it for sale in the future! 🙂 For more information, visit here.

ZA Lip Crayons & Vibrant Moist Lip Lacquers

My favourite of the 5 is lip crayon in Magenta 232 (most left) a bright pink that glides on smoothly and feels like a lip balm! Lip crayons available from 1st Sep, lip lacquers already available in stores, exclusively at Watsons. For more colours and information visit here.

Estee Lauder BB Cushion Foundation

Estee Lauder Double Wear All Day Wear BB Cushion delivers just what it promises in its name, the well loved Double Wear all day formula is now in BB Cushion form, which is why I love it! I have recommended this BB Cushion to many of my colleagues and friends because the foundation stays fresh on my skin all day. Visit here for more information under the Estee Lauder foundations page.

Estee Lauder has recently launched their Double Wear Nude Foundation Cushion Stick which makes for convenient touch up on the go and in my videos above, I am wearing the new lipstick colour 330 Bad Angel, a sweet coral red colour. Check out the new lipsticks online here.

Laneige New BB Cushion Pore Control

For long days, I opt for Estee Lauder’s Double Wear All Day Wear Cushion foundation but for daily wear, Laneige’s New BB Cushion Pore Control is one of my preferred options. An upgrade from the well loved BB Cushion, the new cushion now comes with the 3D Skin Fit cushion (diamond embossing) so that the right amount of product is optimally picked up. Also major loving the cool new holographic cushion exterior!

Clio Kill Cover Stamping Foundation

Last but not the least, Clio is jumping on the stamping foundation trend wagon with their new Clio Kill Cover Stamping Foundation and along with it they have launched a really cute concept “the Korean Morning Beauty Booster Recipe” to teach users how to apply their morning makeup! It goes 1. Smoothen with Kill Cover Egg Pore Primer + 2. Empower with Kill Cover Stamping Foundation + 3. Optimize with Kill Cover Airwear Skin Smoother Pact and lastly 4. Refresh with Micro Fine Oil Control Fix Mist.

I’ve tried all the products and my first impressions are, the Kill Cover Egg Pore Primer is a primer that creates an ultra smooth surface, pretty true to its name. The Kill Cover Stamping Foundation has great coverage and the best formula I’ve tried out of all the Clio Kill Cover foundations thus far. Kill Cover Airwear Skin Smoother Pact will create a very matte look, if you want the dewy look then I’d recommend avoiding the cheeks while applying this but otherwise you can use this as a finishing powder for a matte look. Last but not the least, be sure to spray the fix mist a good 15cm away for fine mist application on the face, definitely feels more refreshing than sticky (compared to say Urban Decay makeup fix spray).

If you’re obsessed about whitening and brightening your skin, this post’s for you. Today’s skincare compilation consists of 4 skincare brands, each with at least one whitening / brightening skincare product / range that apparently we Asians are obsessed over.

If Google brought you here while you’re searching for a specific product review, I hope you’ll also enjoy reading up about other products featured in this post as well! 😉

The Body Shop Drops of Light & Enrich Not Exploit Campaign

The Body Shop’s Drop of Light promises to:reveal your most luminous complexion yet with our complete skin‑brightening regime. Suitable for sensitive skin with an array of sensorial textures, each product in this range gives you another dose of brighter skin, day after day.The collection consists of Pure Clarifying Foam Wash (not pictured), Pure Translucency Essence Lotion, Pure Healthy Brightening Day Cream & Skin Defence Multi Protection Essence. For more product features, information and prices here. The key ingredient in this range is atlantic red algae extract that is rich in minerals, nutrients and vitamin C which gives its brightening effect. What I love about the range is the scent and how light it feels on the skin. I really enjoy using the Facial Foam Wash. Another key product to highlight is the Skin Defence Multi Protection Essence which boasts to be The Body Shop’s highest protection sun block with the lightest weight texture. And it definitely feels like it… as a plus, it smells great too!During the same time of Drops of Light launch, The Body Shop also launched a Enrich not Exploit campaign to show that theyare committed to working fairly with our farmers and suppliers and helping communities to thrive. Our products enrich, but never make false promises and are never tested on animals. For more information about the campaign visit here.

Having tried the above three products, I can attest that the range is remarkable light for an anti-aging range. A user-pro tip that I’ve seen from The Body Shop’s Facebook post/advertisement is using both the Drops of Light and Drops of Youth serums together for a double packed brightening and hydrating effect!

Thank you The Body Shop Singapore and WOM PR for sending over the products over for review! <3

Eucerin White Therapy Range

Sun exposure, hormonal changes, skin inflammation, and acne scarring can all lead to problems of hyperpigmentation – a key concern for many Asian women. Specially formulated for Asian skin, Eucerin® White Therapy is clinically proven to reduce the appearance of dark spots to give you visibly brighter skin in just over 12 weeks.

Eucerin® White Therapy acts at the root of the problem – where melanin synthesis occurs. The products are formulated with key ingredients B-Resorcinol and Glycyrrhetinic Acid to prevent excessive melanin production and work to continuously reduce pigmentation. Beyond its melanin-suppressive capabilities, the formula also supports and stimulates the skin’s natural ability to repair damage and helps to prevent signs of premature ageing.

This range works on dark spots, age spots, melasma, freckles, post-inflammatory stress, and acne scarring to give you a brighter and more even skin tone. Overtime, Eucerin® White Therapy also helps to prevent the reappearance of pigmentation.

Eucerin is a dermatologist recommended skincare that you’ll find readily available at drug store so it’s no surprise when I adopted this range of skincare for a week that it’s fragrance free and very gentle on my skin. If you’ve got sensitive skin and you’re looking for a range of skincare to help you regain your skin’s fairness without any harsh ingredients, I’d definitely recommend this range! For more information about the range, visit here.

Eucerin & Nivea’s Top 10 Best Selling Products

I don’t even know where to start for this. Here are the top 10 best selling Eucerin, Nivea and Nivea Men’s products!

Obviously I can’t attest to the men’s products, but I can say that even before Nivea sent these over to me, I’ve been using Nivea’s Body Milk Night Whitening Lotion at night, because you know, I also want fairer skin and Nivea products smell so good and are so affordable. Sometimes when I’m not too lazy, I also use the above Firming Body Serum with SPF33 as a day body sun block. I’m also almost finishing the Nivea Micellar Water, and they’ve just me the new updated version which is even better! More on the new products in another separate post! 🙂

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Nivea has also launched Extra White Serum Deodorant and Anti Perspirant spray. The key ingredients are 10x Vitamin C and Avocado Oil to smoothen and whiten under arms while keeping them fresh for longer. For Nivea’s whitening deodorant, see here.

Thank you Eucerin, Nivea & The PR People for sending the products over for review! <3

CNP White Peel Home Set

A home-based whitening treatment program that is used in dermatology clinics, it uses the latest Polyhydroxy Acids (PHA) principle. The formula removes dead skin cells and brightens skin tone resulting in clear radiant skin.

For more information, visit their site here. I’ve yet to review this set yet, do look out for my review update on my IG. 🙂

Kiehl’s Clearly Corrective Dark Spot Solution

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It seems that I might have just reserved the best for the last, in this case. I don’t think I need to say anything else except that this is a truly remarkable blemish clearing product and it delivers the very promise it makes on its product name; Clearly Corrective Dark Spot Solution. I’ve used it on my acne spots on multiple nights and I always find that I wake up to clearer skin and lightened blemish spots… highly recommended!

Thank you Wei-Lin of Kiehls for sending the products over for review! <3

Is there any whitening and/or brightening skincare product that you swear by? Let me know in the comments below!

Etude House Curl Fix Mascara & Bling Me Prism

So I’d missed this event update from a year ago and I’m not sure if Etude House still carries the Curl Fix Mascara and Bling Me Prism. T_TDelicious fruity mocktail!Super love the subtle shimmer in the Bling Me Prism collection!Check out the look I wore using the Bling Me Prism collection! And yes I super love my grey hair (thanks to Chezvous hair salon at Takashimaya~) from a year back!

Etude House Autumn Winter & Wisma One Year Party

Etude House celebrated Wisma’s flagship outlet’s first year party (Time flies! Check out my entry for its opening party here!) and we saw Clarence Lee create wearable autumn looks. Cute nail treatment products! A pic of the makeup Clarence used on the model!

The super popular Play 101 Pencil, a Pony x Etude House collaboration that’s now almost indispensable in many girl’s makeup pouch! Some colours are meant to be eyeshadows, others more as a lip and cheek product, it’s best to test and try them out in stores before making a purchase! 😉

Have you ever wondered why some girls always have flawless selfies on their IG / social medias? Apart from the Mei Tu Xiu Xiu app, it’s no secret that the Casio TR60 is the perfect selfie camera with its built in beauty filter function! I had the chance to review the camera and here are the photos and my take! 😉Casio Exilim TR60

Petite in size and pretty in purple.

Extendable frame which forms a good grip for selfies.

Extendable frame also forms as a good stand for wireless/”shoot with phone” photo taking function.

The two dots on the side of the camera indicates the “selfie pad” which allows you to toggle between beauty filters and modes.

The menu page with the few options which allows wireless download to phone and

shooting with phone.

The camera album allows storage of about 100 photos, which isn’t a lot. You will need to transfer the photos to the phone and delete the photos on the camera regularly. P.S. These are the photos I took during my Genting trip, you can check it out my blog post of the trip here! 😉Send to phone function, will need to download the Exilim Connect app on your phone and then link the camera to the phone wirelessly.Connect the phone to the camera’s wifi.Then open the Exilim connect app on your phone. In this case, I am using an IPhone. Once the phone is connected, you can view photos on phone or use remote capture – allows you to use your phone as a remote and click to capture photos on the Casio TR60.

The screen displays the few modes at the top which you can click to use accordingly: makeup, mirror, wireless, modes, menu.

Under modes, you can pick from various options!

More options under “Art shot”.Including a nails option!

Here’s how the photo taken with the nails mode option looks like! And here’s a photo taken using my phone as a remote control. 🙂

More photos taken with the built in beauty filter, no further editing required! ^^V

I do love the Casio TR60 camera very much for the flawless selfie functions and how pretty and petite the camera is. However at $1400+, it is a huge amount to shell out for a selfie camera, which is why I didn’t purchase after the review.

Thank you Casio Singapore, Nicole and Oglivy PR for providing the Casio TR60 camera for the review!

Will be posting about the launch of Casio’s newer selfie camera model, Casio TR70 in another post soon! 😉

Today I’ll be reviewing eyes and brow makeup from two drugstore brands Kate Tokyo and Clio, followed by sharing about a beauty and brush care package from the lovely folks from Sigma!

I’ve been using Kate Tokyo’s new and latest Forming Edge eyeshadow palettes a lot lately and am very impressed by its superb pigmentation, beautiful colours and comfortable and long wearing formula. My favourite colour is PK-01 which I incidentally dropped from my makeup shelve today after applying it T_T so I will be purchasing a replacement from Watsons.

Kate Tokyo’s new and latest Forming Edge eyeshadow palettes in BR-3 (brown), PK-1 (pink), BU-1(blue) and GD-1 (green). Check out all eight shades on their site here.Kate Tokyo’s Forming Edge eyeshadow palette in PK-1, my favourite of the 4 shades. The colour in the middle is actually more peach (pinkish orange) than pink, nonetheless the colours in the palette complements very well for a sweet and romantic look that’s wearable on a daily basis too. Super love!

Kate Tokyo’s Forming Edge eyeshadow palette in BR-3 is my second favourite colour of choice and I pick this colour on days when I want to go for a more understated glam look, like this:

Kate Tokyo’s Forming Edge eyeshadow palette in BU-1 is a colour I have yet to try but when I do, I’d likely match it with gold or orange to create a more friendly look rather than just full blue, which is a tricky look to wear on its own on a regular day.

Kate Tokyo’s Forming Edge eyeshadow palette in GD-1, unfortunately the powder came cracked when I received it, which goes to show how fragile it is, so do be careful when you handle them. Though the pigment and formula is great, and the fancy diamond packaging looks pretty, it does make it more fragile.

KATE Powdery Mousse BB. I have yet to try this out.
This lightweight mousse promises to: transform into powder upon application for excellent shine-free coverage that lasts all day! What’s more, your skin is pampered with all the nourishing goodness of BB cream for perfect skin from the inside out. Comes in 2 shades, 01 Bright colour and 02 Natural colour.

Older launches which I have yet to review on the blog!

Kate Virtual Lash Liner (Mascara) $25.50 promises to amp up the drama with voluminous and lush lashes with the new KATE VIRTUAL LASH LINER. The new Hard Black Formula and refined wax-polymer-pigment ratio unfailingly creates intense, long-lasting black colouration. The formula also features straight and curled fibres to simultaneously curl and lengthen your lashes, lifting them up and fixing them in place for curves that last. The KATE VIRTUAL LASH LINER also features a compact applicator wand that can pack on the long-wearing formula. Precisely positioned bristles spread lashes apart, coating every last one for maximum impact.

I’ve had it for a while, but as I am crafting this post, I can’t recall my review of this mascara. Oops! I will be wearing and testing it again and share my update on IG. Based on the promise of the product, I do think it will suit my short and sparse eye lashes. I don’t wear mascaras often and when I do, I tend to go back to the few that I’ve tried and like, which are currently KPalette’s Lash Perm Volume Mascara (Purple) and Benefit’s Roller Lash mascara. Previously I was using and loving Lancome’s Hypnose Doll Eyes Mascara and Maybelline’s Cat Eye (quick some time back). It is very important for me that a mascara has an easy to remove formula, dries fast, is lightweight, doesn’t smudge and somehow still magically extends my eyelashes and gives some volume. Very demanding, I know.

Define your eyes in brilliant black with the new KATE Digital Memory Liner ($20.50). Intense, all-day colouration emphasises your eyes in a single stroke of the super-fine flat brush. The KATE DIGITAL MEMORY LINER features two types of polymers to ensure all-day resistance to smudging, fading, sebum, sweat and water. These polymers have been carefully arranged for fuss-free removal of the formula with warm water.

KATE Digital Memory Liner is a new eyeliner favourite. I use eyeliner on a daily basis, before this, my holy grail favourite is Clio’s Kill Black and Brown brush liner for it’s smudge proof formula which cleans easily with no stains or marks. By comparison Kate Digital Memory Liner is more intense, equally smudge proof and while it cleans with no mark/stains, it does require more makeup remover to clean off.

Rounding off my Kate Tokyo review with their Eyebrow Set, which comes with the brow palette, brush and comb, was retailing at $20.50, in December 2015. Not sure if you can still find the same promotion now. My Japanese friend commenting on IG (the same pic as above) that Kate is a very popular brand in Japan and that she has bought the same brow palette 10 times! Wow. However I am more of a eyebrow pencil kinda gal… I tried to apply and like this product but I am just not as efficient with this eyebrow palette as I am with the eyebrow pencil… oops.

That is why we need more than one brand in the market, such as Clio which caters to girls like me who prefers eyebrow pencil rather than eyebrow palette, although you an also spot their version above. They also have their Kill Brow All Day Tattoo (which sold out in Korean when they first launched), which is the K version of Benefit’s Gimme Brow, Gel Brow Pencil and waterproof eyeliners! Have actually yet to break into all of them yet, but do check them out in Watsons stores. As mentioned above, I highly recommend Clio’s Kill Black and Brown brush eyeliner and lately am also really loving their Gradation Dual Eyebrow pencil which is their new summer 2016 collection, which I will review in another post! 🙂

Sometime back, the kind folks of Sigma sent me this very lovely beauty and brush care set.

Today I’ll be reviewing two body creams and one eyelash growth serum. I’ve been using these products on and off for a few months and I have to confess that I’ve not used them for consecutive days, sufficient to see a remarkable result. And that’s also a reason why I’ve been hesitant to review these products on the blog as it’s hard to attest to the results. Nonetheless, I’ll be including details of the products, so if you find them useful, you might want to give them a try! 😉Meditrina Ageless Herbal Cream with Chasteberry Extract, Mederma Stretch Marks Therapy Cream & NewbornLash Eyelash & Brow Serum

Do you experience very bad period cramps? Then you might find this cream useful! Starting off the review with Meditrina Ageless Herbal Cream with Chasteberry Extract that is highly recommended by fellow blogger Herine, who also sent this product over to me for review.

Specifically developed to alleviate hormone imbalance symptoms and beauty problems related to hormonal imbalances, Meditrina Ageless Herbal Cream with Chasteberry extract contains the exclusive Phyto-hormone Triactive Complex of Chasteberry, Fenugreek and Rapeseed Extract, clinically proven to mimic the positive effects of your hormones on your body and skin. This Triactive Complex designed for skin delivery system to maximize its efficacy on restoring you to optimal youthful levels and improving your health and vitality. It contains 100% natural botanical ingredients, no animal substances or synthetic hormones are used in the formulation of Meditrina Ageless Herbal Cream.

Chasteberry (Vitex) is a plant found in the Mediterranean region. It has the ability to effect the pituitary gland’s regulatory and balancing influence on progesterone, estrogen and prolactin hormone production. Its preparations are used to help treat irregularities of the menstrual cycles, premenstrual complaints and mastodynia (breast pain). It is also an effective remedy for menopausal disorders & PMS.

Fenugreek acts as an emollient (softens and soothes the skin). It also reduces blood sugar and is a potential raw material for the production of sex hormones. It is commonly used in Chinese Medicine to treat cold pain in the lower abdomen, impotence, and hernia (said to be due to cold “Chi”).

Dioscorea (Wild Yam) root is used as a precursor for manufacturing progesterone and estrogen. It is used to help ease dysmenorrhea and cramps.

Grape Seed Extract is a powerful anti-oxidant. The anti-oxidant activity provides a strong rationale for using it in the therapeutic management of microvascular disorders. It may also support collagen stabilization.

I have used this Meditrina Ageless Herbal Cream with Chasteberry Extract on multiple occasions focusing on the breasts and stomach area where Herine recommended as it will firm the area while keeping the skin supple. It will give a warm sensation after applied. As it includes Chasteberry and Wild Yam root which helps the body to balance hormones, it is recommended if you experience irregular periods or physical discomfort brought by hormonal imbalance. Based on the stated benefits of the cream, it would also be suitable for women going through menopause. Retails at $178, purchase online here. For more information visit the fact sheet link here.

If stretch marks are your concerns, why not give Mederma Stretch Marks Therapy Cream a shot? I confess that I don’t have visible stretch marks to attest to the effects of this cream, but I love applying this to my legs and thighs because of the lovely botanical scent and its moisturizing effects from the hyaluronic acid. In case you haven’t, read my review of Mederma Proactive Gel, a scar removal gel here. For more information, visit the Mederma website here.

Last but not the last, we have NewbornLash Eyelash and Brow Serum for review. I really want to like this product and see its effects on my eyelashes because I have the typical sparse, short and straight asian eyelashes. HOWEVER I have never managed to go past 3 consecutive days/nights of applying this serum. Sorry guys. I usually apply this at night before I sleep, it has a tiny brush tip applicator which makes it easy to apply the serum at your eyelash roots. I also confess that this is a very late review because I received this product last year. The product is brought in by BeaulabSEA but I can’t find any product information on its site at the moment. Let me know if you’ve any eyelash growth serum to recommend and tips to stick to the regime? 🙂

As we enter into the month of June, this means Summer is fast upon us… And in the thick of summer, it’s important for us to care for our skin and hair to make sure we’re prepared for and protected from the heat and humidity!

As you would know by now, if you’ve been reading my past few blog posts and following me on my IG, I’ve literally got tons of beauty products for review and it would take me too much time and inertia to review them singly / per range on a dedicated blog post, so I’ve decided to compile relevant products together in a multi-review post! So here goes the first of such posts to come. 😉

I was sent this V-Mina Feminine Hygiene Trial Pack some time end last year and I particularly like the Cleansing Mousse. I am not a daily user of female personal hygiene care because I feel that normal body care products are sufficient for me. However during “that time of the month” aka periods, using personal hygiene care feels extra nice. Read more about V-Mina on their site here and purchase their products online here.

So many Korean beauty products, so little time to try and buy them. If you’re a huge Korean skincare, makeup and fashion lover like I am, you might be happy to know of OKDGG which is a mega online shopping mall that houses 1,300 brands under one site and they are currently offering free shipping for purchases over $100(usd) and below 10kg! I have tried the Jeju Aloe Vera gel which is a very refreshing and moisturizing water gel based cream, I’d recommend this for days after a day at the beach. The Too School For Cool Milk Tint red is a pastel red lip tint with a glossy effect. Still haven’t tried the Wonder Patch Belly Wing, but if you have, leave a comment and share your views! For more makeup and skincare products on OKDGG, visit here. And I do love a pretty pink delivery box. 🙂

If you’re looking for a lightweight Volume enhancing and nourishing hair care, try Dove’s Volume Nourishment range consisting of Shampoo, Conditioner and Root Lift Spray. I personally have rather thick hair so I can’t really attest to the effects of this range in a sense that its effects aren’t that remarkable for me. But when I tried the range for review, I liked that it was lightweight and effective in cleansing and didn’t leave any greasy residue on the hair. Also, my friend Fion says the Root Lift Spray really works for her.

Another haircare range I’ve tried is Rich Pure Luxury Miracle Renew CC Shampoo and Cream. Honestly I thought the product packaging was so ordinary despite the impressive name “Rich Pure Luxury Miracle Renew CC Shampoo”. However after using it, I was impressed by it and also really like the grape scent. I also saw it being on featured on one of the local magazines’ beauty awards (sorry can’t recall now which magazine it is).

A quick research online shows the write up on the official US site as;Infused with wine extract, the shampoo actively brighten hair colour and protects hair from environmental damage. It also moisturises hair and scalp thanks to an algae extract derived from seaweed that’s rich in proteins, vitamins and minerals. The shampoo contains a beautiful blend of argan oil and hydrolyzed wheat, soy and corn proteins to create soft, shiny hair that’s smooth and free of frizz.Instructions: Apply to damp hair, massage into a lather then rinse. Repeat if necessary. For optimum results use with RICH Pure Luxury MIracle Renew CC Conditioner.

I also used the CC cream after wash and before blow dry and it’s a non greasy and moisturizing formula. Would definitely recommend this moisturizing and nourishing hair care range for dry hair. You can purchase the product on SuzanniBeaute here for $13.50 for 250ml, which is cheaper than Guardian retailing at $17.90. 😉 The CC Cream retails at $16.50 on SuzanniBeaute.

Have previously posted about DCS Nutriderm here. As for the Stenders skincare, I like the moisturizing toner but find the Hydrating Facial Gel a tad too concentrated for my skin, but my friend Christabelle likes them just fine. What’s your current skincare favourites?

Last but not the least, if you’re looking for an affordable sun screen range, consider LipHop, a made in Korea sun care line with products Ultra Whitening Sun Protection Lotion, Kids Hypoallergenic Sun Protection Lotion, Super Defence Ex Sun Protection Milk, Moisturizing Weightless Sun Protection Spray and Soothing Aloe Vera Gel. With all of the variety, you’re bound to find a type of sun block that suits your preference and needs this summer. I’d brought these along with me on my trip to Penang a while back and I like the lightweight Ultra Whitening Sun Protection Lotion. 🙂

What’s your summer plans? I’m definitely planning for a day in my white Kaftan and sipping mojito by the beach. 😉

Belle and I made full use of our 1D1N with girly activities such as playing with new make up, photo taking at the alley ways/spots near by the hotel, thai food at Aroy Dee for dinner, The Daily Scoop (at School of the Arts) for desserts and masks (mutiple, yes, haha) time before we called it a night. During our fruitful staycation, we were also appropriately (mostly me, haha since Belle doesn’t really drinks coffee) with Nespresso and Cafedirect coffee, it’s sweet that BIG Hotel has a Nespresso machine in the room. Have I mentioned how much I love the chic coffee corner? 😉New cosmetics from Etude House Play 101 Sticks / cushion concealers, Laneige BB Cushion, K-Palette Rose Eyeliner, Kate Tokyo Eyeshadow Palettes, Stenders Handcream and Lipbalm.Swatches of Etude House Play 101 sticks, creamy and pigmented.My picks for the day. Caption as posted on my IG; Laneige BB Cushion Pore Control SPF50+ PA+++ is my recent go to foundation, a new and improved formula with 3D skin fit technology and higher coverage than before! 😊✨👌 Etude House’s BIG cover concealer tip to cover my dark eye circles and Concealer Cushion in beige as a highlighting pen! As well as the Play 101 Stick in jumbo size with a creamy formula,#10 as highlighter below the brows and #13 a light shimmer pink for blusher~ ☺️💕Kate Tokyo newest SS16 collection, Forming Edge Eyes in BR-3($23.90 at Watsons), a beautiful and highly pigmented shimmery brown eyeshadow palette with 3 hues for a mesmerizing look with depth. 👁😉 Completing my eye look with Etude‘s Play 101 Pencil in black, K Palette’s latest Bulgarian Rose Eyeliner for a sharp and smudge-free liquid eyeline. My current go to mascara is also from K Palette, 1 Day Lash Perm c/o of Beauty Carousel. ✍🏻🌹 Finishing the look by prepping my lips with Stender‘s cranberry lip balm – it comes with 60% natural shea butter so it legit keeps the lips moisturized! Lastly Australis’ Velourlips Matte Lip Cream in Doobai – a dark red lip colour which you can find from Watsons!

See the look below:

Coffee break with Cafedirect (available at Fairprice Finest & Fairprice Xtra) before heading out.Made up and ready to head out!

Chic photo spots around every corner around Middle Road, if you seek, you’ll find. 😉

Post dinner ice cream indulgence:

I opted for Strawberry while Christabelle opted for Durian (Mao Shan Wang) and Avocado!

Headed back and washed up with Estee Lauder’s new micro cleansing foam and if you don’t already know about Estee Lauder’s Advanced Night Repair serum, this stuff is the magic potion of the beauty world! I use it on nights when I need to calm redness/irritation/clear up blemishes on my skin, and it always works like a charm!

I brought along Origin’s Clear Improvement Active Charcoal Mask To Clear Pores, and found out that Christabelle is a huge fan of this brand and been using this mask regularly which helps with her oily skin type, once a week. Origins is an au natural skin care brand, for all you nature loving skincare fanatics! 😉

And post Origins charcoal mask, we nourished our skin with The Face Shop animal masks which I got last year and they don’t seem to be retailing any more now, but man, these smell of peaches, soooo good and its also pretty hydrating, love! Check out other The Face Shop masks currently available on their site here.

*satisfied grin*And YES I had also lugged over the new ranges of skincare goodies; shower gel, scrub, body creams from The Body Shop to try out during the staycation, best decision ever! Our bathroom and room were filled and smelled so good of summer fragrances from the Pinita Colada (Pineapple and Coconut) to Polynesian Tiare (island flowers), they’ll all launch by June 9. 😉

Lovin’ the soft morning sunrays~And a wefie with the lovely one before we tore ourselves away from the room… we really didn’t want to go.Checking out at this lobby.

A very cosy and bubbly lobby atmosphere when we left, ideal for friends or family to gather before heading out.

The comfy bed and sheets made for a great night’s rest. All in, BIG Hotel is an affordable, chic option that I’d recommend whether you’re considering for a local stay-cation or visiting from abroad. Staff we met at the hotel were also very pleasant and courteous – they definitely made our stay that much sweeter. Plus, it’s located conveniently close to Bugis MRT (if you’re taking the train down from Changi Airport, from the green line) and walking distance to Dhoby Ghaut and Little India where you can explore more of Singapore whether for shopping, dining or cultural spots. If you’re keen, you can also check out my alma-mater LASALLE College of the Arts which is literally behind BIG hotel, if you’re in luck you might coincide your stay with graduating students’ exhibitions. happening from now, 20th May to 1st June!

You might have seen my postings of Origins’ Retexturizing Mask with Rose Clay (aka Rose Mask) and Original Skin Renewal Serum with Willowherb on a previous post when I brought them along for a staycation and on my IG, here’s an in-depth review of Origins’ Rose Mask and Renewal Serum!Brought the Origins’ rose mask and renewal serum with me for the staycation so I could apply it with by bff!Close up of the duoHow we look with Origins Retexturizing Mask with Rose Clay. Only a quick 10 minutes is all it takes! I love it!

Origins Retexturizing Mask with Rose Clay

Phase I: Purify & Deep CleanUpon application, creamy Rose Clay deep cleans skin to absorb impurities and excess oils while drawing out dirt and build-up from pores. Sourced from Spain, Rose Clay has been used for thousands of years as a powerful detoxifying ingredient. For centuries, women as far back as Cleopatra and Nefertiti recognized its power to give them flawless skin.

Simultaneously, Original SkinTM key ingredient, Canadian Willowherb, helps restore skin’s clarity and luminosity to reveal much sought-after glow. A potent extract found in Northern Canadian prairies and traditionally used as an herbal supplement to treat medical ailments, this blossom helps combat dullness and sallowness while restoring skin’s clarity and glow.

To balance skin and maintain peak health, Persian Silk Tree, an anti-irritant native to Eastern Asia and used in Traditional Chinese Medicine, works to rebound from stress.

To use, apply a thin layer to clean skin, avoiding the eye area. Leave the mask to dry for 10 minutes before using wet fingertips to scrub and wipe off. Use 1-2 times per week for optimal results.

How we look after the mask and applying Origins’ Original Skin Renewal Serum with Willowherb.

Origins has created a high-performance solution, Original SkinTM Renewal Serum with Willowherb, to specifically target quarter-life skin concerns – rough texture, enlarged pores, stressed skin, flaws and loss of radiance – in one product driven by two key factors.

Intrinsic = Cell turnover. Cell renewal is vital for skin vibrancy which is a prominent sign of youth. As we get older, cell turnover slows down and degrades our original skin. When cell turnover is increased, fresh plump cells are brought to skin’s surface boosting skin’s ability to reflect light and increase translucency

Refines Skin’s Texture and Minimizes Pores. Featuring Chestnut Seed Extract, originally found in Europe and known for its skin refining properties, a renewal complex helps boost skin cell turnover and eliminates roughness, counteracts flakiness and improves overall texture. Together with nutrient rich algae extract found in North East Atlantic Ocean, Laminaria Saccharina helps balance skin’s production of sebum to tighten and shrink the appearance of pores, making them appear smaller.

Restores Radiance and Rebounds from Stress. The potent extract, Canadian Willowherb, helps restore skin’s clarity and luminosity to help recreate original glowing skin. Found in Northern Canadian prairies, it has traditionally been used as an herbal supplement to treat medical ailments. Anti- irritant, Persian Silk Tree, works in tandem to help keep skin at peak health. Native to Eastern Asia and used in Traditional Chinese Medicine, this active boosts translucency for optimal looking skin.

Origins is a leader in harnessing the power of nature to discover potent ingredients that deliver advanced skincare results. Original SkinTM Renewal Serum with Willowherb is specifically developed with powerful ingredients from nature to provide a multi-dimensional one-step solution to these issues.

My review:
First of all, I love the Origins’ Retexturizing Mask with Rose Clay because it only takes 10 minutes for the mask to dry up and take effect, which is faster than the usual 20 minutes masks required for clay masks. Secondly the mask leaves my skin baby smooth because it contains Jojoba beads that gently scrubs my dead skin away after I wash it out. Plus the Rose Clay draws out dirt and oil and has a tightening effect on my pores. Therefore, after the Rose Mask, I apply the Original Skin Renewal Serum which refines the skin texture and minimize pores with chestnut extract and canadian willowherb restores skin’s clarity and luminosity for that glow. It’s definitely my favourite clay mask and serum duo thus far and I highly recommend it. After my bff used it, she loved it so much, so I bought one set for her as her birthday gift! You can find the products at Origins stores in Singapore retailing for $50 and $78 respectively.

Last August Clinique launched their meaningful Face Forward campaign encouraging women to make a promise for their future self, via social media.Here’s mine, writing to my future 30 year old self:

Dear Ena, how is life like at 30? Honestly it feels weird speaking to you, my older self. I trust that you’re now older and wiser. Hopefully you’re more passionate than ever; living life to the fullest, whether you’re still in working in the property industry and blogging. I hope you’re still rooted in Christ and enjoying His love and grace each day. May your life be a testament to His glory and goodness. I also hope that you have a better understanding of the value and preciousness of time and that you’ve mastered being in control of time. I believe that as I continue to be grounded, faithful and industrious, I’ll have the confidence to face you in 5 years time. X Ena

In addition to the Face Forward campaign launch, Clinique also launched their Smart Eye Serum, mascara and liner and a few Clozette ambassadors and I were invited down for the launch at Sephora at ION.

A few of the mug shots taken of the guests, spot me! 😛

Some swatches of the Clinique’s Pop lip colour.

Clinique’s Smart Custom Repair Eye Treatment: Our smart eye treatment targets repair as needed, where needed. Custom repair is how one formula can visibly brighten, contour and firm, plump or repair the look of crow’s feet. Use twice a day.With Clozette ambassadors at the event!

Photos and products from the event. Unfortunately I did not like both the chubby mascara and liquid eyelining pen as I found the chubby mascara hard to handle with the chubby body and the eyelining pen smudges. Have yet to review the eye serum, will put it to the test and review on my IG @ena_teo, follow me if you haven’t! 😉Was also gifted the Clinique’s 3 step skin care for taking part in the #FaceForward social media campaign. I have oily + normal combi skin and I was matched with the type 3 for the 3 step skin care, consisting of soap, lotion and gel. Heard really good reviews of the dramatically different moisturizing gel, shall also review on my IG after testing it.

Thank you Clinique SG and Clozette for the media invitation and product gifts!